Improvement in gar-screens



W. Dec. MAY.

CAR-SCREEN.

Patented May1,187'7.

the car and strike directly upon the persons taching the screen to the wall D of the car justed laterally nl@ length 0f the slot. one

--wrLLLlM DE ConnorY MAY, or*"nAiLTiMonltMARYLANDll,

IMPRQVEME-NT l-N CAR-SCREENS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.. 190,348, dated May 1,1877.; application iiledv March 21, 1877. 5

To' all whom, it may concern Beit known that I, -WILLIAM DE GoURcY MAY, of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Railway- C-ar Screen 5' and I do hereby declare. that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Great annoyance, discomfort, and, frequently, injury to health of passengers on railways, result from the air in the cars being too warm` or else impure.. The remedy usually resorted to is to open the windows more or less; but this is frequently impracticable, owing to the danger to health in consequence of the strong air current or currents thus allowed to enter of the passengers. rBhe use in such case of stationary projecting screens placed between the car-windows for the purpose of protecting the passengers is iinpracticable 5 and I have, therefore, devised for the purpose a fan-like screen, which is adapted to fold compactly, and may be adjusted at various inclinations, as. conditions may require.

The construction and arrangement of parts are as follows:

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation of the inner` sid'e or wall of a fragment of a railway passenger-car, showing the application and arrangement of my improved screen. Fig. 2 is a side view, showing the screen closed. Fig. 3 is a side view, showing the screen open or extended. Fig. 4 represents a modification.

The body A of the screen is composed of a series of folding blades and a covering of flexible material, the two being connected in the manner usual in the construction of ladies folding fans. The frame proper of the screen consists of the bars B C, which are pivoted together at the lower end. The means for at consist of a screw, E, and a slotted keeper, F. The screw passes through the extended lower end of the bar B, and serves as a vpivot for the screen, while the keeper' F continesthe upper end of said bar, but allows it to be adof the objects of adjusting the lateral inclination of the screen' isto better enable it to ward off the air-current from the passenger or passengers occupying the adjacent seat, and also to keep the screen quite clear ot' the passenger occupying the seat in front of it, so that it may not incolnnlode hiln when leaning back ill his seat, the inclination being varied as the position or inclination of the seat, or other conditions, may require.

I prefer to notch thel keeper F at the middle, to enable it to lock or hold the bal B vertical; but when the screen is inclined toward the right or left, the .friction of the bar B in the slot of the keeper will suice to maintain it in that position.

When not required for use, the screen is folded, as represented in Figs. l and 2, the

fan-blades then lying parallel, andbeing held in close contact by the folding bar G, which is locked in the vertical position by a springcatch, c, attached to the enlarged head of bar B. When the screen is required for use, the

bar C is released from its catch c, and lowered to a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3. lt is locked in that position, and the fan A -thereby held distended by engagement of a shoulder of the curved spring-arm Gr with the bifurcation of bar O. The said arm G projects from the pivot-bar B, and serves also to conne the lower ends of the fan-blades, the same passing through enlarged slots in the blades, which permit the latter to turn and adjust themselves at the proper angle when the fan is being'folded .or extended.

I show in Fig. 4 a modification, in which the fan-blades and folding bar O are pivoted in such manner as to fold side by side with the pivot-bar B, like an ordinary fan. A pivoted catch, f, is employed for confining the bar G and the fan-blades in the closed position, and also serves to hold the fan when extended.

A screen thus constructed possesses many advantages ill that it occupies but little space when folded, may be readily extended for use, and also adjusted at the inclination required to render it most efficient for its purpose, and is withal an ornamental appendage lof the car in place of being a disguremellt.

1. A folding screen, consisting of pivoted A of the screen, said blades having enlarged slots, through which the arm passes, as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

4E. The combination, with the pivot-bar B and foldingbar-C, of the spring-arm Gr', having a notch or shoulder to adapt it to act as a catch or locking device, as specified.

WILLIAM DE l COURGY MAY.

Witnesses:

I. I. MAY, H. DE C. MAY. 

